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H. T. BLAKE. ELETRIAL TRAMWAY.

No. 398,814. Patented Mar. 5, 1889.

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H. T. BLAKE.

BLBGTRIGAL TRAMWAY.

No. 398,814. Patented Mar. 5. 1889.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

HENRY 'l'. l-lLAhE, Uh' NEW HAVEN. ttlNNl-CtlltVl.

ELECTRICAL TRANIWAY.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 398,814, dated March 5,1889. Application filed November 30, 1888. Serial No. 292,222.l'No'modelJ To LZZ whom t muy concern:

covered hy the llt-ipsl is represented as flat.

Be it known that l, HENRY T. llnxiirraeity l top surface, their highestpoint heilig lower zen of the United States, residing at New Haven,inthe county of N ew llaven and State of Connecticut', have inventedcertain new and useful Improvements in Elect rical 'lrain ways; and I dodeclare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description ol theinvention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which itappertains to make and use thc same,l reference being had to theaccompanying drawings, and to the letters and figures y of referencemarked thereon, which forni a party of this specification.

Myinvention relates to elect rical tramways,

and is an improvement of that shown in the patent granted to ine Nay22,138.5,No- 383,273, which consists of a base, ot' wood or othernonconducting material, having an electrical conductor attached to itsupper surface, and a strip of flexible non-conducting material overlyingsaid conductor in the manner as dcscribed therein. In the specificationand drawings of that patent there are described and showmFigures l2 andlo, a wooden base with an electrical conductor sunk in a channel cut inthe upper surface of said base Somewhat deeper than the thickness ofsaid conductor, so that a portion of the channel is i left above thesurfaceof the conductor, and a detachable strip or cable, of rubber orother flexible non-conducting material, closely titting said channelabove said conductor likea continuous plug, and adapted to be lifted bya trolley-wheel passing under said strip or plug and replaced by avlollowi11g-wheel after the trolley has passed. In Figs. l, i2, and 110f the Sallie patent is shown another form of said invention, consistingof a wooden base having the conductor sunk in its upper surface, butwithout any channel above the conductor. This device is provided with aflexible flap overlying said coiuluctor, which iap is joined along itsouter edge to the wooden base, and is so arranged. that its inner edgemay be lifted by a plow-shaped trolley in order to effect electricalcontact with the conductor, said flap falling back to itsnorinalposition after the trolley has passed.

In my former patents, Nos. 383,273 and Y.i83,274-,the top surface of thewooden base The flaps also lie in a [lat position over such than theedges ot' the side plates which hold them in place, so that a depressionexists at the top of the conduit` in which moisture can collect to workits way through to the electric conductor.possibly causing leakage andshort-circuiting. The metal plates which are shown in Patent No. 383,273as overlying the upper liap, are shown and described as thin Hat metalplates, whose purpose is to stitfen the flap and protect it fromabrasion. In Patent No. Sti-'3,274 these plates are shown as having atint base with an arched center overlying a itat diaphragm, and theirot'tice is described as that ot' n bridge over the secondary conductor,(which forms a ridge along the top of the diaphragm.) so as to preventits accidental depression by street traltie. In both patents theiiatness of the tlaps and their depression below the edges of the sideplates have reference to the fact that one function of the latter is toassist in supporting street traffic in its passage across the top ot'the eonduit.

My present invention consistsin constructing the top surface of the baseor conduit of a rounded or roof-shaped forni, thus providing a freewater-shed over its entire upper surface, the conductor-channel beingont along or near the highest` point thereof. 'lhe tlexible iiapoverlying` said channel is provided with overlying metal plates, whoseshape will conform to the upper surface of the base or conduit, saidplates being sufficiently heavy to canse the flap to closely tit saidbase and by their weight to hold it tirnily in place.

My invention further consists in combining the two devices shown in thepatent granted to me May 22, 1888, No. 3S3,;73-viz., the Ilexible Iiapand flexible strip or plugby attaching said strip to the under side ofthc ap, whereby the advantages of both forms are secured in one device,as well as other special forms of construction pertaining to the device,which will be hereinafter more fully described, and particularly pointedont in the claims.

Figure l represents an end elevation of the device, showing thecontinuous strip or plug IOO Cas

attached to the overlying tlap and both elevated a short distance abovethe channel.

Fig. i2 represents a similar view with the plug lirmly Seated in thechannel. Fig. il represents an end elevation ot' a similar device, withthe excel'ition that in this case a double groove or channel is torined,one tor theplugl and one t'or the conductor. lu other words` the channelin which the conductor rests is enlarged in its upper part or month, andinto such enlarged portion the stri p orplu g is dt ted,

an independent overlying` Hap, the outer ends of which are fastened tothe conduit; or base and the inner ends meeting or abutting at thecenter. Said ilaps are in sections and weighted with iron platesproperly insulated from each other. Fig'. 5 represents a` plan view ofFig. 4. Fig. t3 represents an end elevation of Fig. i, showing' theoperation ot' the trolley in lifting the flaps and plugs. Fig. 7represents a plow shaped trolley provided with a11titriction rollerssituated in the sides of said trolley to engage with the ends of thestrips or plugs. Fig. is a detail view. Figs. il, 9, 1U,and 1l representmodified tornxs of 'the channel-closing tlexible strip or plug.

Fig. li' represents a base or conduit` whose upper surface is roundedsimilar to the one shown in Fig'. l. The tlexible tlap, instead ol'beingin sections, as in yFig` 4. is one eontinuons strip fastened by oneof its edges to the` hase, said Iiap being' surinounted by heavy tweighting-plates whose under surface conl'orms to the upper roundedsurt'ace ot' the base or conduit. Fig'. lli represents a device somewhatsimilar to Fig'. l2, upper surface ot' the conduit is angular or sidesof the mouth of said channel ab )ve said conductor and effectuallyexcludes all moisture and foreign mattei' therefrom.

In Fig. 5 the saine V-shaped channel is employed so far as it relates tothe flexible strip or plug d; but at the bottom ot' said groove orchannel is cutV a second channel, u', preferably narrower than the upperor V-shaped one, and into this second channel, at the bottoni thereof,is placed the conductor Z1. This latter method may be [n'eferred in somecases where a more perfect isolation of the conductor is required, asthe flexible strip d can in this case be made wider and thus cover moresurface.

In Fig. t the saine double channel is employed, as above described: butl may prefer in some cases to divide this flexible strip or pluglongitudinally through its center, thus forming the two independentstrips d d',

` each a counterpart of the other, but forming,

except that the l roof-shaped, the weighting-plates conforming i to theshape ofthe conduit. lhe conductorA` channel in this view is shownast-ut at one side ot the center ot' the conduit'. Fig'. lt repre seulsthe end elevation, as seen at Fig. if, with the tiap slightly raised toadmit the contact-makingdevice. Fig. l5 represents a plan view ot' Figs.l') and lt.

lts construction and operation arl as lollows:

to all appearance, when closed and their ends h l tirmly abutting eachother, a solid plug. Each half d' d of this divided plug is at! tachedto the tlexible tlaps f, whose -outer edges are secured to the base A bymeans of insulated iron plates i. These tiaps are preferably made insections, (see plan view, Fig. 5,) so as to enable them to be readilyraised by the lifting device. 0n the inner ends ot said flaps andoverlyingI the same are the iron plates f, which serve the doublepurpose of protect ing the said flaps and also of weighting down thedivided plug. 'lhis liexible strip or plug can be made in any lormdesired or best suited to the required denialnls. The V- shaped form,with the correspt'iud i ng V-shaped groove in the base or sleeper A,will insure a close joint and can be readily disengaged therct'rom bythe action ot' the trolley or other lit't ing device.

ln Figdtl the plug' is otl a tuhularl'orm,the sides m being rounded. lnFig. ll is shown a similar construction ot' the vflexible strip (l, butin shape nearly oval` I pieter in the divided plugl to face the ends ot'the iron plates e with an elastic nou-rjonducting inaterialhjj,

` to assist in making a close joint in the center A represents thewooden base or sleeper; 3

u, the channel cut therein: l1. the conductorstrip placed in the saidchannel; c, overlying or point ot' meeting. This facing' may extend downthe entire face ot' the two parts d rl ot' the divided plug, or, if sodesi red. simply cover the ends ot theiron plates, as shown at Fig. 4.The two parts d d may each have on their timer faces the projection I.;(Shown in Fig. tl.) This projection will l'orm an integral part ot thesame, thus serving to tace the ends ot' l irons e in place ot thepieces/ i.

'lhe longitudinal strip can be made of any llexible non-conductingmaterial.. Vif rubber is used and too much friction is produced by theaction of thc trolley in contact therewith, said strip may be faced withleather or other frictionless non-conducting material. To still furtherreduce this friction, should it exist to any appreciable extent',anti-friction'rollers Z l may be set into the sides of the )now-shapedtrolley, as seen at Fig. 7.

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Instead of leaving the top of the conduit, flat I give it a rounded orroot-shaped form, the channel beingl cui. along or near thehighest part,so as to shed l'reely all water that may fall upon it withoutobstruction from the side plates, these being placed below the highestpart of the conduit, and in order to retain the flap in this curvedshape and to promote the closeness of its tit I attach firmly to itsupper surfacey (see Figs. 12, 13, 14, and l5) heavy metal plates e',curved or bent in their vertical section, so as to correspond with therounded or roof-shaped top of said eonduitor Wooden base. These platesextend nearly across the Whole distance between the side plates, i vl',but not so as to prevent the {texibility of the Hap, and are set asclosely together as may be practicable without destroying suchiiexibility. (See Fig. 15.) From a quarter of an inch to an inch or morewould no doubt give the desired result. These plates are made as heavyas practicable in order to ast as weights upon the iiap, so as to holdit firmly in position and canse it to drop quickly and heavily intoplace after the trolley has passed.

In a conduit constructed as above described-viz., of a rounded orroof-shaped form with a iiap conforming thereto by means of theproperly-curved weighting-plates and a suitable contact-making deviceitwill be necessary to raise the 'flap but a short distance above thesurface of the conduit, thereby greatly lesseuing the chances ot wateror other foreign matter finding its way into the conductor-channelduring the passage of the trolley or other contact-limiting device, thusaflordinnA a much better protection for the conductor than would be thecase if the top of the conduit were dat. Another important advantagederived from these features ot' construetion above described relates tothe capacity ot" the whole structure to support the wear and tearincidental to street tratlic. The curved shape of lthe weighting-platesand the liap in correspondence with the rounded top of the base not onlydistributes the pressure of such traffic over the whole top of theconduit, but makes it impossible for the plates or iiap to be wrenchedor torn from their places by the twisting action of a wheel of aheavilyloaded wagon, especially as the tops oi' said weighting-platesbeing also curved such a wheel can get no gripping-hold upon them, norcan it twist ott' the side plates by getting between them, as in myformer patent. 'lhus this form ot' conduit is made practically availablein streets where heavy traliic is used, and where without theseimprovements it would be practically unavailable.

The device, as shown and described, it is thought, will meet all therequiV ements essential to a ground-conduit for electrical tramways, theflap being easily lifted and replaced, and making, when closed, asurticiently tight joint, thus excluding from the i conductor-charmelall foreign matter. The cable or strip is not merely aeover, but inaddition a plug or stopper iitting into the monili ol the groove orchannel, and serving not only te exclude wet and dirt, but to hold the[lap lirmly in its proper position, especially when pressed into placeby weightingplatzes on the upper side thereof.

Having thus described m y invention, what I 'claim as new, and desire tosecure by Letters to the under side ot' said iiap and lilling the mouthof said channel as a continuous plug and adapted to be lifted by aplow-shaped trolley, or by any other suitable device acting` upon saidplug or flap, all in the manner as described.

fThe devices described and shown as a cov 'ing for any slotted conduit,consisting of a [lap of flexible material attached along one of itsedges to the upper surface of said conduit, so as to cover such slot, astrip of tiexible material attached to the under side of such flap andclosing thc slot of the conduit as a continuous plug and adapted to belifted and replaced in the manner shown and described, andweighting-1lates attached tothe upper side of the tiap,all as shown anddescribed.

S. A conduit for an electrical railway and other uses, consisting,lirst, of a base, of wood or other suitable non-conductingl material,having its upper surface rounded or roofshaped, and having a channel cutin said upper surface, at the bottom of which the electric conductor islaid; second, a flexible flap overlying said upper surface and attachedthereto along one of its edges, and, third, weighting-plates secured tosaid tiap, which extend across said channel and whose under surface conforms to the curved or roofshaped surface of said base, and therebycauses the said Hap to conform, when in position, to such shape, so asto form a curved, roof-shaped, or sloping covering over said base, whichis held in place by said weighting-plates, except when lifted by thepassage of the trolley, all in the manner and for the purpose described.

In testimony whereof I alhx my siguatu re in presence ot" two witnesses.

HENRY T. BLAKE.

Witnesses:

HENRY C. WHITE, J. KINGsLEv BLAKE.

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